Sir Henry Rider Haggard was an English writer of adventure novels set largely in Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. A confessional narrative from a mad scientist Dr. Therne obsessed with one of the great issues of his day – vaccination against epidemic diseases like smallpox. His personal fears meet the tragic legacy of other doctors' careless ignorance and spawn a malignant crusade against vaccination.